Allen: Unlike NFL, I like Mikes

Broncos, Seahawks the picks to win this weekend

While the rest of the NFL has been busy getting rid of a bunch of Mikes
in charge of their teams, I expect to see Mike Holmgren and Mike
Shanahan to meet again in the Super Bowl.

This season has not been kind to NFL head coaches named Mike.
Buffalos Mike Mularkey, Green Bays Mike Sherman,
Minnesotas Mike Tice and St. Louis Mike Martz are looking
for employment this winter.

Not to worry Mike fans, I think there will be two Mikes to hang
around another two weeks into this season and both are a bit of a
surprise.

In Seattle, Holmgren was on the hot seat this season  his
seventh with the Seahawks. Since coming over from Green Bay, Holmgren
had not won a playoff game and he was going to have trouble holding
onto his job without a good run in 2005. This season it all came
together for the Seahawks, who have ridden MVP running back Shawn
Alexander and a big-play defense to the best record in the NFC.

On Sunday, the Seahawks  with Alexander recovered from a
concussion suffered in last weeks win over Washington  will
meet a Carolina Panthers team that has some injury problems on defense
and in the running game. While I think the Panthers will still be able
to run the ball with third-stringer Nick Goings, I think they will have
trouble stopping Alexander, who should be on a mission after winning
his first NFL rushing crown this season.

While I love that Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme to do whatever
it takes to win, I think the Seahawks will be able to contain his
favorite receiver, Steve Smith, and that will allow the Seahawks to
ground out the clock and their first trip to the Super Bowl.
SEAHAWKS 23, PANTHERS 17

In Denver, fans were beginning to wonder if when John Elway retired,
so did any chance of ever winning another playoff game. Shanahan drew
the brunt of the frustration and despite a solid record and two Super
Bowl wins, he needed a better 2005.

Shanahan continued to develop handpicked quarterback Jake Plummer,
who finally started to eliminate the mistakes that had cost the Broncos
in the past. Their defense  which drew criticism for bringing in
the entire starting defensive line from an awful 2004 Cleveland Browns
team  improved behind the solid play of veteran middle linebacker
Al Wilson, cornerback Champ Bailey and safety John Lynch.

Now, the Pittsburgh Steelers  the first No. 6 seed to play in
a conference championship game  arrive in Denver as one of the
best road teams over the past two years with a 15-3 mark, including
wins over the Bengals and Colts in the playoffs. The Steelers also have
lost four of five home AFC Championship games since 1995, so by getting
away from Pittsburgh they hope will be a good thing.

But with temperatures only touching 40 degrees on Sunday, Steelers
quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who is gamely playing with a badly
injured thumb  which was re-injured late last week  on his
throwing hand andan in-season knee surgery, will be tested. So will
Plummer, who generally has struggled to make good decisions with the
football if he is pressured, which he will be on Sunday.

This game will come down to which team runs the ball more
effectively. Both teams have great running games with many, varied
options in speedsters such as Willie Parker and Tatum Bell or punishing
runners such as Jerome Bettis and Mike Anderson. I give the Broncos the
slightest of an edge in this category, which should be enough.
BRONCOS 17, STEELERS 16